Peachy Picks The Boathouse! It is our Favorite so far...

Whom You Know first covered The Boathouse under Tasty Tidbits:

http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/07/tasty-tidbits-boathouse.html

Whom You Know's 1,300 plus posts all are attached to some degree of recommendation, and as you know, Peachy's Picks is a recommendation of the restaurant, and a "graduation" from Tasty Tidbits. Of all of the restaurants we have reviewed, The Boathouse is our absolute favorite so far, hands down. The exquisite cuisine by Executive Chef Anthony Walton, the attentive service, the phenomenal location, and our overall experience are making us say that The Boathouse is the BEST in Manhattan.

Of course, it did not hurt that we were served CRABCAKES! In past reviews, you may have seen Peachy Deegan write how she just loved the crabcakes at such and such establishment. She did love them, but THESE she love love love love LOVED. The crabcakes at The Boathouse are the CRABCAKES OF ALL CRABCAKES. We would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day until we passed away if we could. (But then we would never fit into our fabulous designs by Donna Ricco, Tibi, Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, Lilly Pulitzer, etc.) See the crabcakes in the above photo...

The restaurant dream sequence began in real life for Peachy Deegan when she entered Central Park from the Upper East side in her fabulous Modo for Jennifer Creel sunglasses guarding her from the sun, but also from her bright immediate future when she was greeted by Manager Safet Kurjovic and seated with the fabulous Whom You Know dining panel. All night Samir, a super-attentive waiter from Montenegro pursuing his PhD in Chemistry (Whom You Know just loves smart people!), answered our numerous questions and made educated recommendations with total accuracy.

Peachy Deegan began with Nectar on Ice-Moet and Chandon with fresh squeezed lime juice. During the evening, she also had the Boathouse Lemonade-Smirnoff Passion Fruit Vodka, Fresh Lemonade, Midori and soda. The drinks are great with a meal, at the inside bar, or at the outdoor bar which is amazing in the summer.

Executive Chef Anthony Walton gave us excellent information on the most popular menu items with the greatest attention to detail (Whom You Know just loves detail) which led us to our appetizer choices:

Heirloom Tomato Salad
English Cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onions, imported feta cheese and red wine vinaigrette (pictured above)
This could not have been fresher and the variety of tomatoes was perfectly seasonal

Chilled Artichoke
Pistachio -Sauternes vinaigrette
A seriously fun appetizer to share among our party, this did not disappoint

Fresh mozzarella and vine ripened tomatoes
Basil and cracked pepper
A dish that is at many places, this was raised to a notch-above with the quality of ingredients and preparation

Long Island Fluke Crudo
Roasted Piquillo peppers, fresh oregano, caper berries
We love fish on our panel and this unique appetizer was a nice complement to the rest of the meal

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
Marinated cucumbers and caper remoulade
We could not have just one- we had two of these and it took our best Etiquette from Connecticut not to fight over them. These are the crabcakes that you dream about-see introduction to this post! Beautiful on the inside and outside, The Boathouse Crabcake is pictured above.

We were off to an excellent start, and were interested to know that at the VIP table where we sat, other recent guests included Spike Lee, Ray Kelly and Christiane Amanpour. Also at this table recently there were three marriage proposals in four hours. We can assure you there were none last night, but if we were going to do that we would do it here!

In the lake outside The Boathouse, a Gondola is always rowing around a lucky couple...a perfect backdrop to our meal. In the extreme recent humidity, we were pleased to see the windows closed but imagined in warm summer weather that is not as stifling as it is now, it would be great to sit there with the open windows.

For her entree, Peachy Deegan feasted on the Sauteed Dover Sole served with Haricots Verts and Grain Mustard sauce. It was just as good as the crabcakes! The flavor and the presentation were all that she had hoped for, and she did go in with high expectations. They WERE going to The Boathouse, of course!

The perfect meal was pleasantly punctuated by dessert to die for:

The Fresh Fruit Bowl served with Mint Cream and green Tea Sorbet
It cleaned our palette and was so refreshing

Key Lime Layer Cake-Key lime mousse, macerated mango, coconut sorbet
It took us to sunny Florida in our minds and to even more fabulous heights in our stomach

Sour Cream Cheesecake-Almond Crust, Rhubarb Puree, Oatmeal Crisp
Who has had cheesecake better than this?

Chocolate Pudding Tart- Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
For Peachy, the chocoholic, this was a necessary item!

Peanut Butter Mousse-Banna-Caramel Puree and Chocolate Crumbs
A unique dessert with great flavor

***

Our panel was as pleased as Peachy. They commented:

Upon arriving at the Central Park Boathouse, we were promptly seated at a table with an exquisite panoramic view of the pond and the skyline. We were attended to by our enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable and capable waiter Samir, who proceeded to recommend cocktails from the extensive drink menu. The drink menu offered something for everyone from imported beers to wines to cocktails and aperitifs. I ordered an outstanding Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.

We were then greeted by Executive Chef Anthony Walton, who described his impressive professional background in hospitality and culinary arts. He cleverly noted that the menu changes frequently depending on the weather and seasonal tastes amongst other things. Today, given the humidity and heat, he mentioned that the menu items were meant to be of a lighter fare.

The Chef then described the menu in painstaking detail, noting the must haves for appetizers, namely: Heirloom Tomato Salad, Chilled Artichoke, Fluke Crudo, Jumbo Crab Cakes and tomato and mozzarella salad. We ordered 1 of each recommended appetizer (5 in total) to share amongst ourselves. Our favorites were the Crab Cakes (so we ordered 2), the Heirloom Tomato Salad and the Fluke Crudo. The Crab Cakes were light and very refreshing (not heavy and fried as many we have tasted before), accompanied by a caper remoulade and a cucumber red onion garnish. The Heirloom Tomato Salad features 3 or 4 different types and colors of tomatoes and has a Greek twist to it with Kalamata olives, cucumbers and feta cheese. It was very refreshing given the heat. The Fluke Crudo was served with caper berries, roasted peppers and olive oil.

Chef Walton then described the entrees which varied from surf to turf with a wide variety of mainly meats and fish dishes with 1 chicken dish. I ordered the double cut pork chop with figs, honey and lavender. The portion was ample and the seasoning was subtle, resulting in a well-balanced dish with an earthy, organic taste. While I do not normally fancy pork chops as they are often less substantial and not as filling and can be dry if not attentively cooked, this dish was the exception given the thick double cut of pork and the marinating of the meat.

We finished with a sampling of 5 of the Chef’s recommended desserts, the Key Lime Layer Cake, Peanut Butter Mousse, Chocolate Pudding Tart, Sour Cream Cheesecake and the Fresh Fruit Bowl. Favorites included the Chocolate Tart and Key Lime Cake.

All in all, we were very impressed with the menu options and variety, the romantic surroundings, the Chef’s inspiration and enthusiasm, the attentive and intimate service and our meal which while filling was not too heavy. We highly recommend the Central Park Boathouse for a romantic dinner, business dinner or a corporate event (there is a corporate event hall next door).

***

Dinner at The Boathouse on a sultry summer night in August, at a table overlooking the lake in Central Park bathed in the glow of the setting sun, hardly prepares one for the succession of beautifully-prepared appetizers exploding with flavor which are graciously offered by Executive Chef Anthony Walton. One is more wonderful than the next: the crab cakes — better than in Maryland! the multihued heirloom tomatoes and feta cheese; the mozzarella made fresh at the Boathouse each day; Long Island fluke crudo with caper berries; and chilled artichoke with pistachio sauternes vinaigrette—all delicious.

For cocktails, champagne touched with nectar!

Then on to the main course My grilled branzino with broccoli rabe was delectably crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, served with a lemon oregano sauce—outstanding!

By now, with the romance of the gondola--a gift from from Venice --lighting our view, we contemplated dessert—another sampling recommended by Chef Anthony: peanut butter mousse (banana caramel puree and caramel crumbs – my favorite); key lime layer cake (key lime mousse, macerated mango and coconut sorbet—yum!); fresh fruit bowl with green tea sorbet (very refreshing); sour cream cheesecake (almond crust, rhubarb puree and oatmeal crisp (wow!) and last, but by no means least, chocolate pudding tart-very chocolate in flavor but not too heavy.

Taken together, the food, the view, the attentive service from Safir our waiter from Montenegro, and the ambience – all under the watchful eye of Chef Anthony, whose genuine friendliness, warmth, attention to detail and vision define this restaurant -- made our evening at the Boathouse an altogether sublime experience.

***

This will live long in my memory as one of my most favorite and enjoyable New York dining experiences. From the moment we stepped inside this iconic establishment to the moment we left, we were shown the most gracious and warmest hospitality, all with the stunning backdrop of The Lake right in the heart of Central Park.

Our evening began with our knowledgeable and charming waiter, Samir, walking thru the seasonally-specialized menu, which includes some very outstanding appetizers and entrees. A standout in the appetizers category amongst the party I dined with was the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, this is probably the best we have ever had. The heirloom tomatoes in the Heirloom Tomato Salad were very fresh and tasty. My entrée, which was amongst the day’s specials, the Sauteed Wild Striped Bass, was very moist and flavorful and balanced perfectly with sides of toasted vegetable Israeli couscous, sautéed broccoli rabe in a spiced tomato Harrisa sauce. On the desserts menu, the Key Lime Layer Cake was highly-recommended and did not fail to please our party. The Chocolate Pudding Tart was another favorite too, it’s chocolatey but light enough in texture to not induce any guilt.

Executive chef Anthony Walton graciously stepped out of the kitchen on several occasions to give us a background on the restaurant, the menu and what his recommendations are, as it was difficult to come to a decision on the many delectable items on the menu.

After our dinner, executive chef Anthony Walton once again joined us and walked us through the entire venue, which much to our surprise includes a very spacious and lovely banquet hall called The Lake Room, which we had not previously known about. The space features wraparound windows with French doors that open onto a wooden deck that’s right by the lake, and which can be expanded upon with a tent extension. We could easily picture the most romantic of wedding receptions and other equally unforgettable events taking place there. We learned that the entire premises had gone thru a multiyears-long renovation that is scheduled to be completed next year with the updating of the outdoor bar and seating area. We can’t wait to see what the finished project would look like, as the premises as it looks now is already quite beautiful.

It’s also worth noting that for a romantic evening that includes a most unforgettable touch, do not pass up making a reservation for a ride on the Boathouse’s gondola. The gondola is an authentic model that is a gift from the city of Venice, Italy to the city of New York. The gondola gliding thru the lake while we sat watching thru the windows during our dinner was just absolutely mesmerizing.

***

At the end of the evening, The Boathouse Trolley takes you outside of the park and we had no wait at all.

Whom You Know LOVES The Boathouse and we give it our strongest endorsement.
Thank you Danny, Anthony, Dean and Samir.

On Peachy Deegan:

Smile by Dr. Garo Nazarian:
http://www.cosmopolitandental.com/

Dress by Donna Ricco:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/08/dress-of-week-cap-sleeve-open-back.html

Skincare by Clarins:
http://us.clarins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/cosmetics-products_face__-1_10051_10204_Y_10315__

Hair by Erica Bennett:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/08/erica-bennett-endorsed-by-whom-you-know.html

Makeup by Clinique:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/06/product-alert-bamboo-pink-collection.html

Sunglasses by Jennifer Creel:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/07/whom-you-knows-sunglasses-of-summer.html